Topless trend in Spain signals economic crisis via lipstick effect

Topless as an early economic indicator

The summer of 2024 brought a shared perception: never before had so many women gone topless on Spanish beaches. While some see this as a shift in customs, others view it as a classic sign of impending hard times. Specifically, observers link the rise in bare-chested sunbathing to the "lipstick effect," an economic theory suggesting that during crises, women increase spending on small luxuries—such as cosmetics or, in this case, full-body tanning—as substitutes for major purchases.

Singer Amaral has been cited as a potential trendsetter, although the phenomenon is cyclical and dates back to the 1980s. What is novel is its intensity: from the Costa del Sol to Portugal's Algarve, including beaches in Cádiz, witnesses describe an explosion of toplessness, while destinations like Montezaino saw almost no women with exposed torsos.

Crisis or empowerment? The dual reading of toplessness

Proponents of the economic theory note that the rise in toplessness coincides with high inflation and elevated interest rates, which have eroded household purchasing power. Instead of updating wardrobes or planning expensive trips, women opt for small gestures that boost self-esteem: new lipstick, prettier underwear, or simply showing more skin at the beach. This argument has historical basis: during the Great Depression of the 1930s, lipstick sales soared, and the same occurred during the 2008 crisis.

However, others attribute this to a cultural change unrelated to economic conditions. They point out its cyclical nature, having occurred in the 90s and early 2000s, arguing that blaming the crisis is a stretch. Indeed, the popularization of the idea that "empowerment" equates to displaying the body has led many young women to go topless regardless of recession concerns.

The data that changes everything

The most striking detail comes from comparing male behavior. While women increased toplessness, men seem to be going further: some beaches reported a rise in male nudism. "Being completely naked is more dignified and elegant than wearing that tasteless nonsense," was reportedly said, indicating that the trend toward showing more skin might be generalizing across genders.

That this summer was defined by toplessness is not, in itself, proof of imminent recession. But the temporal coincidence with other social indicators—such as complaints about lack of modesty or revived discourses on the "destruction of the West"—suggests the phenomenon has more layers than it appears. If the lipstick effect holds true, third-quarter cosmetic sales data will vindicate the pessimists. Or perhaps not: sometimes the beachwear market just seeks an even tan.